Luxury Family Holidays Handpicked for Parents

Berlin

Ritz Carlton Berlin lounge

Hotel Adlon Berlin brekfast

Hotel de Rome Berlin exterior

Swissôtel Berlin interior

Berlin is busy. It's past derelict charm is fading fast with a freshly reunified city emerging and it's ideal for luxury family holidays. Here, protest and pleasure co-exist; the city thrives on this invigorating duality. The old grandeur of Prussian glory blends with meticulously vast palaces, verdant gardens, museums, and long leafy boulevards boasting endless boutiques. The capital is renowned for being child-friendly across all of Germany for its innumerable children’s shops and stroller-filled streets. You may think that Germany equals beer, bratwurst and BMW’s, but it is actually a really fantastic place for a luxury family hotels.

The Ritz Carlton, Berlin is an elegant tower overlooking Berlin’s largest park, Tiergarten.

The Ritz Carlton Berlin has really made its mark on Berlin since it opened in 2004. Today, it’s deemed worthy even for a President, with Barack Obama and his family staying there during their visit in June 2013. No hotel is closer to the Tiergarten, Berlin’s equivalent to Central Park, which resides on one side of...

The luxury Adlon hotel stands right before the iconic Brandenburg Gate, making it a perfect starting point for exploring the city.

This Kempinski Group luxury Hotel Adlon Berlin stands right before the iconic Brandenburg Gate, so it couldn’t be more perfectly located. Reopened back in 1997, the new building pays homage to a spot where kings and emperors themselves used to reside. Between the fabulous bar, its restaurant with its renowned...

Situated in a beautiful old bank, the Hotel de Rome has a notably stunning rooftop terrace with views over the rambling Berlin boulevards.

It does not get much better in this magic city than at the Hotel de Rome Berlin. Situated in a beautiful old bank building between the Brandenburg Gate and Alexanderplatz, most rooms of this hotel have grand high ceilings and large windows. There’s a stunning roof top terrace with a view over the rambling local...

The sleek, modern Swissotel towers over the Kurfürstendamm, Berlin’s elegant shopping strip, with its jigsaw of inviting stores, cafés and restaurants.

Located in the Kurfürstendamm, Berlin’s elegant shopping strip, is the Swissotel Berlin. Once a terribly neglected area, much-needed attention and investment has been lavished upon it. Today, it is a hip hangout in its own right, a hub of fantastic restaurants, cafes and shops. The modern and very sleek Swissotel...

Schnitzel might not strike you as being a typical Berlin dish in the way that Eisbein or Döner Kebab would but Berliners have happily embraced this Austrian speciality. As such, it isn’t hard to find a decent Schnitzel in Berlin, and one of the first places to served a really authentic one in an unpretentious environment is Austria. (Don’t confuse it with the Felix Austria on the same street). As the portions are not exactly small it may be advisable to ask for a lady’s portion if you are not extremely hungry or share one with your children.

Italian restaurants in Berlin are often run by non- Italians. Pan degli Angeli at Stuttgarter Platz in Charlottenburg, however, is the real deal. You can literally taste the home-cooked authenticity. Serving all requisite kiddie-favourites such as pizza and pasta, it has the added bonus of a large playground just across the street. For smaller ones there are highchairs and lots of Italian love from the staff.

This restaurant may appear to possess the old grandeur of Haus Cumberland, but it actually only recently opened. For decades, this building was left to stand unoccupied. A thorough renovation has given it an imposing, yet inviting presence on the Kurfürstendamm, Berlin’s luxury shopping strip. Elegant surroundings and waiters in white aprons exuding perfect manners may not strike you as instantly family-friendly but, especially on Sunday afternoons, Grosz welcomes children with open arms.

Café am Neuen See

Lichtensteinallee 2, 10787 Berlin

On a sunny day, this popular restaurant and beer garden in Tiergarten is awash with trendy Berliners and their children. There’s a sandpit with toys for small children and no one raises an eyebrow when children run around, even between the restaurant’s tables and benches. This is not really the place for traditional beer garden fare, but do try the excellent pizza. Children adore the “Fassbrause“ lemonade. Keep an eye on smaller children if you do eat outside as tables are situated right along the edge of a small lake.

The Teletower at Alexander Platz is a fantastic trip the whole family will enjoy. An iconic marker on the Berlin skyline, this tower offers panoramic views of the whole city and has a revolving restaurant inside, too. Make sure to book your ticket in advance so you don’t have to queue.

Potsdam

On a sunny day, head south to the city of Potsdam. Frederic the Great built his summer palace there in the mid-18th century and the parks and gardens are full of magical little features for children to discover.

The Reichstag

Most museums allow you to jump the line if you have children under seven with you. This is especially true at the Reichstag where the large glass dome by Norman Foster offers a commanding view over Berlin.

Arkona Platz and the Natural History Museum

For a more urban experience, take your kids to the Arkona Platz where, on a Sunday morning, you can stroll around the flea market. If it rains, try the Naturkundemuseum (natural history museum) at Invalidenstraße where the exhibits range from a dinosaur skeleton to the former star of Berlin’s Zoo, polar bear Knut.

Dial 112 for emergencies but, if you can, ask hotel staff for help when calling as language can be a barrier. In cases requiring specific paediatric care, call the Charité Campus Virchow (+49 030 450 566 128). It is located in Wedding and can be reached easily. Another excellent option is the emergency care at DRK Klinikum Westend, (+49 030-3035 4004) in the district of Charlottenburg .

When to go

If travelling with little children we don’t suggest visiting between Berlin November and February when it’s bitterly cold and, if it doesn’t rain, it snows. However, with spring the flowers begin to bloom and the city transforms into a welcoming place with a variety of outdoor cafés, restaurants and parks to choose from. Summer sees families spreading picnic hampers at Görlitzer Park or at Tiergarten, just across the street from Schloss Bellevue, the Presidential palace.